(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to 1,3-di-O-alkyl-2-O-2',3'-dihydroxypropyl glycerine compounds (which may be hereinafter referred to simply as position isomers of diglycerine dialkyl ethers) which are novel polyol ether compounds, processes for the preparation of the same, and cosmetic compositions comprising the compounds.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
In the natural world, there are a number of polyhydric alcohol derivatives having ether bonds therein, typical of which are monoalkyl ethers of glycerine (hereinafter referred to as glyceryl ethers). For instance, lipids of fishes contain palmityl glyceryl ether (referred to as chimyl alcohol), stearyl glyceryl ether (batyl alcohol) and oleyl glyceryl ether (selachyl alcohol).
These glyceryl ethers have wide utility as a substrate for cosmetics because of their w/o type emulsifying characteristic (see Japanese Laid-open Application Nos. 87612/1974, 92239/1974 and 12109/1977, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 36260/1982). It is also known that the ethers have pharmacological actions such as erythropoietic stimulating effect to bone marrows, anti-inflammatory activity, and antitumor activity (see Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 10724/1974 and 18171/1977).
In view of the fact that the glyceryl ethers serve as unique surfactants which have a number of desirable characteristics, attempts have been made to derive polyol ether compounds, which have molecular structures similar to the glyceryl ethers (including ether bonds and hydrophilic OH groups in the molecule thereof), from polyhydric alcohols (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,892, Japanese Patent Publication No. 18170/1977, and Japanese Laid-open Application Nos. 137,905/1978 and 145,224/1979). The resulting polyol ether compounds show the w/o type emulsifying characteristics and are employed as a substrate for cosmetics (see West Germany OS No. 24 55 287) and also as an antimicrobial and fungicidal agent as well as an ordinary emulsifier.
The present inventors payed attention to such utility of polyol ether compounds and derived mono- and di-alkyl ethers of diglycerine, which ethers are polyol ether compounds, from alkyl glycidyl ethers which can readily be prepared from alcohols. Some patent applications have already been made on the application of such mono- and di-alkyl ethers of diglycerine as cosmetics substrates (Japanese Patent Application Nos. 81456/1981, 81457/1981 and 113404/1981).